Justice Bell (Valley Forge) facts for kids
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The Justice Bell is a special bell made in 1915. It looks like the famous Liberty Bell. This bell was created to help women get the right to vote in the United States. This important effort lasted from 1915 to 1920. Today, you can see the Justice Bell at the Washington Memorial Chapel in Valley Forge National Park in Pennsylvania.
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Making the Justice Bell
A woman named Katherine Wentworth Ruschenberger asked for the Justice Bell to be made in 1915. It was cast, or made, by the Meneely Bell Foundry in Troy, New York.
The Justice Bell is a replica (a copy) of the Liberty Bell. But it has a few small differences. The Justice Bell does not have a crack, unlike the Liberty Bell. Also, the words "establish JUSTICE" were added to the top of its inscription. The Liberty Bell was made in London, but the Justice Bell was made in New York.
The words on the Justice Bell say:
establish JUSTICE
Proclaim LIBERTY Throughout all the Land unto all the Inhabitants Thereof
Meneeley Bell Co
Troy, NY
MCMXV
Tours for Women's Voting Rights
To help people learn about women's voting rights, the Justice Bell went on a long journey in 1915. It traveled about 5,000 miles across Pennsylvania. The bell was carried on the back of a special pickup truck. It visited all 67 counties in Pennsylvania.
The bell's clapper (the part that hits the bell to make sound) was chained to its side. This showed how women were being silenced because they could not vote. The truck also had a sign that said "Votes for Women." This phrase was first used by Mark Twain in 1901.
People handed out flyers during the tour. These flyers explained why the bell was traveling. They said that the original Liberty Bell rang for freedom in 1776. It said that governments get their power from the people's agreement. The flyers explained that women were also people. They said the new Justice Bell would ring when women in Pennsylvania could vote. It would ring to "establish justice" and finish building the nation.
Many women traveled with the Justice Bell on its tour. These included Katherine Ruschenberger, Louise Hall, Ruza Wenclawska, and Hannah J. Patterson. Large crowds, marching bands, and parades greeted them everywhere. Cities like New York City and Philadelphia had big celebrations.
On October 22, 1915, the bell arrived in Philadelphia. It joined a parade with 8,000 people. About 100,000 people watched the parade. Anna Howard Shaw's special "Yellow Suffrage" car was also in the parade. The parade ended at the Academy of Music. Many important people attended a ceremony there.
The Justice Bell also traveled to other states in 1920. This was to help get support for the 19th Amendment. This amendment to the U.S. Constitution would give women the right to vote across the country. The bell went to the first national meeting of the National Woman's Party in Washington, D.C. It was also at a national meeting in Chicago.
The 19th Amendment was approved on August 18, 1920. To celebrate, a special ceremony was held in Philadelphia. It took place on September 25, 1920, behind Independence Hall. Katherine Wentworth Ruschenberger led the celebration. Her niece, Katharine Wentworth, unchained the bell. This allowed it to ring for the first time. The bell rang 48 times, once for each state in the country at that time.
After the 19th Amendment
- After 1920, the Justice Bell was kept at Valley Forge National Park. It was not allowed to stay permanently at Independence Mall.
- In 1943, Katherine Wentworth Ruschenberger's will said the bell should stay at the Washington Memorial Chapel. It has been there ever since, in the National Patriots Bell Tower.
- In April 1995, the Justice Bell traveled again. This was for the 75th anniversary of the League of Women Voters of Pennsylvania. It was shown in the Pennsylvania State Capitol building in Harrisburg. Then it went to the State Museum of Pennsylvania. After that, it went on a year-long tour around Pennsylvania. On August 22, 1996, the Justice Bell returned to the Washington Memorial Chapel. You can still see it there today.
- In 2015, the Justice Bell turned 100 years old. Independence National Historical Park opened a new exhibit. It was called "Independence Hall & Votes for Women." This exhibit is at the Liberty Bell Center on Independence Mall.
- On September 13, 2015, another celebration happened at the Washington Memorial Chapel. The Justice Bell was rung again. Its clapper was symbolically unchained to remember its history.
Images for kids
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Casting the Suffrage "Liberty Bell" at Troy.
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Woman's Liberty Bell Starts on Record Trip, headline from July 2, 1915
